I received an email a while back from someone who asked a simple question:
“What are the reasons why someone would or wouldn’t bench press with their feet on the bench as opposed to bench pressing? Just personal preference? Back problems?”
Tony a few years ago would say, “When would someone bench with their feet on the bench? WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER, IT’S NEVER.”
Then there would be a scream, a dramatic clearing of the desk and a slamming of the door.
You know, a mature, sensible answer.
His Tony today has a different view. Read on to hear all about it.
Why bench press with feet on the floor?
Why do we look both ways before crossing the street, or wash our hands after using the bathroom, or, I don’t know, wear pants to the table?
It’s just the way things are done.
The same can be said about the bench. We do it with our feet on the ground because that’s how it should be done.
To be a little more colloquial, we run it like this because:
- With the feet on the floor we can put off a little more movement in the legs which can help lift more weight. if that’s what you’re into.
- Additionally, as a strength coach and competitive powerlifter Tony Bonvecchio notes”,Leg movement can help you get a greater arch through hip extension.”
Kind of like Bo Jackson, Tony B. He KNOWS how to bench press. Check out the Bench Like a Beast Program HERE
Now, admittedly, that last point appeals to more of the powerlifters in the room who are only interested in one thing (well, two, after “where’s the nearest pizza joint?”)… bench pressing as much weight as possible.
A lower back arch = a more industrial sounding position to shorten the distance the bar has to travel.
Both feet on the ground allow one to stabilize the arch.
I like this analogy from House of power Coach Greg Robbins:
“Think of it like a structural bow. To make a bow you need pressure from both sides. Like if you put a piece of paper on the table and push gently from both ends at the same time, what do you get?
An Arch.”
A slight chat bypass
For those about to hyperventilate into a brown paper bag just at the thought of arching your back during a bench press, relax.
A kitten won’t die if it happens, and it’s not inherently more dangerous to do so. Your lumbar spine has a natural lordotic curve anyway (an arch). And no one is sitting here hinting at you have to adopt a Marissa Ida bench setting to bench press (and do so with a high degree of success).
Much of what dictates how much a bow will be used comes down to personal preference, goals, and what feels comfortable to each individual lifter.
Do you need to arch as much as the photo above? No.
Are you likely to arch your back when you bench press, even if not on purpose, because that’s what your body is designed to do? Yes.
Will you please STFU and stop telling people arch is bad? ——> watch THIS.
OK, Back to the bench with feet on the floor
I don’t have much more to say here.
If you’re interested in putting on more weight, putting your feet on the ground is a great approach.
It also reduces the chances of the bar falling on your face.
Why bench press with feet on the bench?
I’m not kidding when I say that I once felt that bench-walking (or mid-air) was one of the dumbest things anyone could do, like texting while driving, thinking you could read a Thomas Pynchon novel in one sitting, or trying to take a selfie with a panther.
Pretty dumb.
However, we all marinate in our own ignorance sometimes.
As with anything in strength and conditioning, there is a time and place for everything.
A drill I’ve been using in my own programming (and that of my clients) lately is the Larsen Press.
To explain the merits of this stellar move, I’ll once again lean on the shoulders of Tony Bonvechio and Greg Robins:
Tony:
“The main benefit of placing the feet on the bench is teaching lifters to maintain their upper back and scapula position. One of the biggest mistakes we see lifters make is collapsing the upper back as they lower the bar, which can tilt the shoulder blades forward and push the bar ahead of the elbows. The chest bar, Larsen press, and floor are all variations of a legless press that work well.
Greg:
“The biggest advantage I see in using the legs is to intentionally make the exercise difficult. When the legs are up, you have a greater range of motion and more instability, which means more work for the muscles that move the weight – shoulders, triceps. I think this is very important for those who rely on high arches and push weights from their chest with their whole body.
There are other benefits too:
– Create higher relative tensions with less weight on the bar.
– Awareness as Tony B said in how to stay tight.
– Relief for the back and hips from being in a twisted bench position.
So there you have it
So there you go.
